Castle thunder (sound effect)


Castle thunder is a sound effect that consists of the sound of a loud thunderclap during a rainstorm. It was originally recorded for the 1931 film Frankenstein, and has since been used in dozens of films, television programs, and commercials.

History

After its use in Frankenstein, the Castle Thunder was used in dozens of films from the 1930s through the 1980s, including Citizen Kane, Bambi, Young Frankenstein, Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and Big Trouble in Little China. Use of the effect in subsequent years has declined because the quality of the original analog recording does not sufficiently hold up in modern sound mixes.
The effect appears in Disney, Peanuts, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including the original Scooby-Doo animated series. It can also be heard at the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disney theme parks.
The sound can be found on a few sound effects libraries distributed by Sound Ideas.